Godwin Tsa Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, filed a 32 amended charge against a British citizen, James Nolan, at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, had, at the resumed trial, informed the court that old Justice Okon Abang that the anti-graft agency had filed an amended charge dated November 20.
The lawyer said the EFCC is now bringing up a 32-count charge against the defendants in the case contrary to the initial 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.
James Nolan is a signatory to the account of the Process & Industrial Development (P&ID ) who obtained $9.6bn dollars judgment debt against the Federal government.
Nolan and his two companies were initially facing trial on 15 count charge before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court for alleged money laundering , now face 32 counts charge.
In the 32 amended charge Nolan and ICIL were charge with .money laundering and failure to report transaction to the federal ministry trade and Industry.
The firm’s being designated nonfinancial institution (BNFI) failed to report in writing the lodgments of various sums of monies as prescribed under the section 10 (1) (b) of money laundering Act.
The defendants were also charged with offences of tax evasion and failure to submit value added tax return.
They used various huge sums of money between January and December 1007
within the.juridiction when he lawfully ought to have know that the money were.unlawful proceeds from tax evasion.
The first EFCC witness Adewale Akinseye who gave his testimony on Wednesday continued on Thursday under cross examination by Paul Erokoro (SAN).
Adewale said he was the GTb account officer for Process & Industrial Development limited and that made copious statement to EFCC in that regards.
He recalled in the statement that he identified Jabesola Awoyinfa and,Adamu Usman as the directors of P&ID . In my word the account was I itiated on August 1006.
In his statement the witness stated that 76,170 Dollars was the inflow from the account of P&ID care K. creepy to P&ID .
To commenced the transaction on 5 Sept 2006 and the sum of 135 dollars was the inflow care K. Creepy company ltd to P&ID Nigeria ltd.He said he got the figures from the record sent to EFCC by GTb which included statement of Account and foreign exchange in flow to NigeriaIt is important to know the difference between P&ID and P&ID Nigeria LTD, he said..The information on the transfer referred to accounts outside the country to Nigeria accounts.
The names of accounts from which the funds were transferred were stated as P&ID , he said he did not have enough information to explain their relationship. He however maintained that the fund were sent care K. Creepy company ltd.
He said that on April 13, 2007 an inflow of 50,000 Dollars from P&ID care of K Creepy ltd was sent to P&ID Nigeria ltd .
He said a company could send fund on behalf of another company but he could.not give a scenario or a specific circumstances under which this had happened.
Asked if the P&ID have sent it through Boko Haram or Al-Qaeda, he said that sanction list are sent to banks all over the world , such that the banks would not effect transferred because proceed are verified .
He agreed with the defense counsel that there are organizations precluded from doing business with banks.
The witness said that he don’t know that K Creepy is a World-leading financial , tax, audit firm providing service to banks.
The Commission had on October 21, arraigned Nolan and Adam Quinn (at large), both British nationals, over their alleged complicity in the 9.6 billion dollars judgment against Nigeria.
Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), an Irish engineering company, had secured the award against Nigeria following the non-execution of a 20-year gas and supply processing agreement (GSPA) the company had with the federal government.